There’s been a dramatic increase in the need for healthcare branding. In fact, we’d have to call it a huge rise in doctor branding, physician branding and hospital branding—all propelled by various factors in the marketplace. Broadly speaking, we’d put the change-agents under the umbrella label of “healthcare reform.” And three of these forces—empowered patients, […]
In the time it takes to read this post, a handful of new concept, Internet startups will launch with as much splash as they can muster. And, in the same brief amount of time, last week’s crop of “latest-and-greatest” social media, Facebook-clones and “community” sites will have vaporized. We don’t know if the lifecycle of […]
As medical practice marketing professionals well understand, the measure of patient satisfaction—or the lack of it—sometimes has little or nothing to do with a physician’s medical expertise. For some patients, the length of the “door-to-doctor” waiting time is a primary distinction between satisfaction and marching over to the competition. Individual provider offices—general practitioners and specialists […]
One of the great rewards of working with doctors and healthcare executives for over two decades is that we have a treasure chest of experience that we share with clients. We’ve seen first hand those things that are most effective in marketing a practice, hospital and organization. We love success stories in medical marketing and […]
There’s nothing like a real-life success story to illustrate the bottom-line, dollars-and-cents value of a medical practice marketing principle. In this case, a physician group specialty practice more than doubled its new patient revenue by training the staff to properly answer the phone and book appointments.
by Healthcare Success Co-Founder Lonnie Hirsch Just recently, we happened to spot a thoughtful article about how small business needs to embrace new marketing methods to better cope with the nation’s tough economic climate. It turns out that the article was nearly two years old (an “eon” in marketing time), but small business is still […]
In this guest post, Dr. Janice Frates offers ways for healthcare providers to use caring, concern and affordability as medical practice marketing tools. Here are her suggestions to build rapport and inspire patient satisfaction because tough times are here to stay. Gradually, it’s dawning on all of us that the current recession is now the […]
Our recent post, How to Destroy Your Medical Practice Marketing New Business in One Easy Step, was a hot-button topic for many readers. So think of this article as the next installment for medical practices and physician advertisers who are losing business for the lack of good front desk phone skills. For a doctor or […]
A package arrived in the mail recently containing an inexpensive computer case that had been ordered online. We were expecting the product, but the enclosed letter from the business owners was a surprise. It was a good one. Their letter is an example of how a small effort—at virtually no cost—can win friends and cement […]
You could call this a digital dichotomy...or maybe a cyber standoff. Physicians, by most accounts, are technology-enabled, digitally connected and social media savvy. They use social media, new survey data tells us, to talk among themselves. But as a physician marketing tool and engaging with patients? Well…not so much. As a group, US doctors are clearly […]
Each year, about 22 million patients are referred from one healthcare professional to a professional colleague. And patient referrals account for hundreds of times more than that number. In physician marketing, direct referrals into the practice often represent a large and significant segment of new business development, which, regrettably, is a neglected part of the […]
Community outreach promotions for a charitable cause is a channel for healthcare marketing—particularly for hospital public relations—to connect with the local citizenry. From South Florida to Canada, here are three attention-getting promotional efforts. All made a publicity splash for a good cause. First, we found Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation embracing the mantra: “bald, brave, beautiful.” […]
The increasing number of healthcare provider and private practices that have launched a social media presence are likely to find that Facebook Fans can be fickle. A report by DDB Paris has it that two out of five Facebook (FB) users will change their mind and click the “unlike” link on a brand page. Their […]
In a quiet, reflective and personal moment—something doctors rarely seem to find—it can appear that everything about healthcare is changing. Maybe "total turmoil" would be the view of many professionals. The feeling of not having a solid footing is unsettling. Much of the provider world is shifting from private practice to hospital employment. Expenses are […]
No Call to Action is No Ad at All. Often the humble “call to action” is only two or three words. But if it’s forgotten, it can make a surprising difference in the effectiveness of healthcare marketing messages. Leave out the critical call to action in doctor advertising and medical practice marketing and the advertisement […]
As technology has evolved in the digital age, so too have the most effective sales strategies. By the way, please don’t be put off by the “S-word,” but if you prefer, label it business development, or even what you say to win patient compliance. By whatever name, healthcare providers and medical marketing professionals do it—you […]
Lately we've been increasingly aware of the growing importance of word of mouth (WOM) advertising in physician practice marketing and medical marketing in general. WOM can be either positive (resulting in a patient referral and new business), or it can be negative (resulting in, well, nothing). Having experienced both edges of that sword, we all […]
The deceptively simple concept of “breaking bread” is actually a powerful healthcare marketing tool. It’s an idea that seemingly has little connection with hospital or medical practice marketing. But the reality is that people bond over food, and here is how physicians, administrators, physician liaison representatives and others can make more effective use of “food […]
We applaud the podiatrists—and other professionals—that have embraced social media to market their practices. Many are so eager to hop on the digital bandwagon that some folks are beginning to ask, “Is it time to scrap traditional media advertising?” Our answer is an emphatic “No!” Used to their best advantage, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other […]
Patients are increasingly technically oriented and equipped, and they want to open the door to digital communications with their doctors, according to InformationWeek Healthcare. And that only makes sense for a general public that is largely broadband-installed, smartphone-equipped and increasingly involved in their own healthcare decisions. What’s new about this situation is that InformationWeek reports […]
Testimonials—a patient’s expression of appreciation for you, your practice and their results—are powerful motivators for potential patients, and highly useful in medical practice marketing. And, being mindful of HIPAA, many professional situations can use this tool effectively. While patients are often happy to make referrals and testimonial statements, they often don’t have a clue about […]
The paramount question that nearly all physicians have been asking themselves is, "Where do I want to work?" Just six words, but it's an extremely complicated question. As the turbulence of healthcare reform forces change, almost every doctor in the nation is pondering some version of a question like this one and wondering about their […]
A few words from master storytellers. The payoff is in more engaging medical marketing, better physician-patient communications, patient satisfaction and more effective healthcare delivery. Stories and storytelling are at the heart of medical marketing, doctor advertising, hospital public relations and physician-patient interaction. Stories can be conversation, advertising and online testimonials, persuasive guidance for patients, news […]
It's a tragic and extremely costly story - and unfortunately one that we see all the time. Perhaps it has even happened to you. Every day, hospitals and healthcare organizations across the USA invest hard-earned money into marketing, yet see zero new patients from their efforts.
Editor's Note: Here's another installment in our continuing series of articles about social media and healthcare marketing. The professional networking site, LinkedIn, is coming of age with over 100 million users. Here are ways to get the most benefit from your LinkedIn pages. It's a low cost, high visibility platform to showcase the personal brand […]
It's the woman who makes the healthcare decisions in most households. That fact hasn’t changed much over the past few years. Estimates have it that eight out of 10 times, it’s the woman, wife, mother who is the keeper of the family health choices for spouse, children and herself. The the “mom” sector has been […]
This week I want to share with you some fascinating insights I've gleaned from some of America's wealthiest families, but more importantly, give you some new ways of looking at investing in your own business, practice or organization. Due to a prior business relationship, I have come to know a fair number of investors and […]
Many of the “old rules” are up in the air. It seems like nearly every aspect of our nation’s healthcare delivery system is in flux. An example of this—one that we see daily—is the turbulent competition among and between providers. It’s skyrocketing. But please proceed with caution; there are legal issues to consider for your […]
What if a medical office were to offer “same day appointments?” It’s an innovative notion, but a “patient driven” appointment just might be popular and become a unique point of differentiation.
Social media is a means for patient and provider to interact, to humanize institutions, to learn from each other and to support a patient-centered system. It is a means to speak, listen, understand and begin a relationship. Social media isn't just for socializing, in the frivolous and inconsequential meaning of the term. In fact social […]
Even in the nicest of “waiting rooms,” who really wants to wait for medical services…or anything else for that matter? And if reducing wait times for medical services is a key to improving patient satisfaction, doctors' offices can now follow hospitals in communicating wait times to patients. To illustrate, we can all relate to the following […]
A Brief History... Physician marketing is unique because most of practice owners have historically refused to market their services. In fact, prior to the landmark 1977 U.S. Supreme Court case of Bates v. State Bar of Arizona http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/31/, professionals in private practice (including but not limited to healthcare professionals) were legally prohibited from advertising or […]
I don’t know anyone who isn’t occasionally guilty of using “medical-ese.” It's the verbal shorthand, technical talk, healthcare jargon, slang or hospital lingo that spells trouble. Doctors, nurses, hospital marketing executives, and practice administrators are all experts, but our audience is not. And we kill our well-intended message quicker than you can say "hyperlipidemia." The […]
Physicians are both public and private individuals. There’s the inner circle of peers and colleagues, and there’s the outer circle of public and (prospective) patients. And for each of these, there’s a free digital tool that every physician can use to boost productivity, professionally present your “who-you-are-and-what-you-do” message, enhance your reputation and help your career […]
What's on First? What's most important and where to begin? Here's a terrific marketing question that popped up again recently: "What's on First? Which is more important, INTERNAL Marketing or EXTERNAL Marketing...and which comes first?" It's a great question that we hear from time to time, especially as practitioners become more comfortable about marketing and want […]
There’s little doubt that information is now the new third party in the exam room. We’ve been tracking the surveys that track online and social media use, and individually or collectively, they say patients are increasingly looking online for healthcare information. No surprise there. But what’s new is that their principal resource is social media. […]
How to avoid classic direct marketing mistakes and what to do instead Promotional flyers and coupons are growing in usage, and have been increasingly popular with the public for more than a century. On the plus-side, done right, they often work well in the healthcare marketing mix, but it's easy to make mistakes. Here are […]
Creative new ideas are the fuel of healthcare marketing success, and in all modesty, we come up with new ideas all the time. It’s our business. What’s more, our clients—physicians, hospitals, dentists, medical groups, pharma/device executives, surgeons and healthcare providers and organizations—tend to be leaders in their field and pretty smart people. Typical of these […]
A physician called us last week for advice. It was urgent. His concern was about a slump in new patient appointments. After talking things through, it turns out that this large group practice was answering tough competition in the marketplace with a solid marketing plan. (A good thing.) In fact, the phone was ringing. (Also […]
Providing patients with online appointment scheduling appears to be growing in some healthcare sectors, but it’s not an option for most patients. People want it. They use online scheduling in other areas of their daily living. There are business advantages for the provider. BUT—online appointments are a convenience that not many providers offer to patients. […]
What's important to patients and three easy ways to measure approval. Sometimes the flow of patients seems...well, over-flowing. But if you're continually running behind schedule, this could be a danger signal that your quality of care and patient satisfaction are not where you want them to be. Professional and personal fulfillment, for both doctor and […]
Follow the Principles of Evidence-Based Marketing™ to Grow your Practice Profits with Virtually No Risk As in clinical care, once-in-a-lifetime anecdotes about marketing success are useless. You must learn from the outcomes of thousands of healthcare marketing campaigns. Based upon our combined 30 years of real-world experience, we recommend the following evidence-based methodology: Learn from […]
Just recently we were reading an online article, authored by a doctor, titled: “You Should See My Doctor”: Cost-Effective Marketing Ideas for Your Practice. There were several remarkable things about the content. First, this was advice about healthcare marketing from a doctor to other doctors. Medical schools provide scant training in business, marketing or advertising, […]
Be honest...does your boss think that “marketing” is an evil word? Or maybe it’s just a “necessary evil” that has to be tolerated because they still need the business. From time to time we discover a negative undercurrent about marketing in all sorts of healthcare organizations. We work with physician groups, hospitals and individual practices […]
How to succeed at public speaking, enhance your reputation and produce new revenue Successful public speaking can be easier than you think. Natural anxiety aside, speaking is a useful and effective marketing tool for a meaningful connection with professional peers and prospective patients in the community. Attracting new patients and professional referrals is more about […]
Professional referrals—typically from generalist to specialist or to hospital admitting—are the financial lifeblood of many specialty practices, hospitals and other medical and dental providers. However, once rock-solid referral sources have eroded or evaporated with the dynamics that are reshaping healthcare delivery systems. It’s an increasingly urgent problem for hospital and healthcare marketing in general, and […]
Healthcare providers and marketing professionals who deal with wrinkle removal, and skin care in general, will want to watch the promotional roll-out of a new home skin treatment. It’s already a crowded marketplace, but there are a couple “firsts” here that make this device a bit of a breakthrough. This month, device manufacturer Palomar Medical […]
by Steve Smith, Healthcare Success Senior Consultant Those of us in healthcare often suffer from diminished peripheral vision. We tend to believe that we work in a vacuum, and that despite whatever else is happening in other professions or businesses, healthcare is governed by a separate, special set of rules. In many ways, of […]
We’re hopeful about the promise of positive things to come, but we’re also realistic. Orthopedic Surgery gives us clues about healthcare marketing, and it’s a perspective that, we predict, will apply to many others as well. There’s no doubt that things are changing in marketing, advertising and public relations for hospitals, medical groups, pharmaceutical companies, […]
When was the last time you walked into your office through the front door? Take a stroll. Does it look like Marcia Brady is about to walk through at any moment? Most doctors/physicians want to be perceived as progressive and leading edge. They express this in the way they practice medicine and in their doctor/physician […]
